Ledisi sings Nina Simone

Stockholm Jazz Festival is popping open the Champagne on opening night, when fourteen-time Grammy-nominated New Orleans-born singer Ledisi sings songs from the musical trove of legendary Nina Simone. She is accompanied by a 50-person orchestra constituting a unique blend of big band and symphony orchestra, with an ability to deliver multi-genre music in a big, luxurious format – all under the baton of Calle Rasmusson.

Throughout her career, Ledisi has frequently returned to the songs of Nina Simone, which have played a crucial role for her – especially when life was challenging in her twenties. “I heard her on the radio singing ‘Trouble in Mind.’ Nina’s voice said to me I was not alone.” Together with the big band-symphony orchestra Metropole Orkest, she released the record Ledisi Sings Simone in 2021. On this Grammy-award-winning album, Ledisi draws on the energy of Simone, while remaining faithful to her own voice in interpretations of Simone’s songs.

In addition to albums and tours in her own name, Ledisi has appeared in musical contexts on Broadway, TV shows, and in movies, including in a role as gospel queen Mahalia Jackson in the movie Selma, about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Ledisi was a frequent guest artist during Obama’s time in the White House.

Thus the Stockholm Jazz Festival begins at the highest level, with a world-class artist and a voice interpreting some of the most legendary artistry of jazz, soul, and rhythm and blues.  

In cooperation with Stockholm Jazz Festival

Stockholm Jazz Festival is one of the biggest and oldest festivals in Sweden, and takes place between 14 and 23 October 2022. This year’s festival includes major names, such as Ledisi Sings Nina, Rubalcaba, Gretchen Parlato and Hiatus Kaiyote. Stockholm Jazz Festival is held on over fifty stages each year and is attended by around 25,000 Stockholmers in its ten days. Read more about the festival at stockholmjazz.se